Origin

The Glass Bloodfin Tetra is native to Southern Brazil and Argentina including the Rio Paraguay. They lack the splendid colours and fins of theSiamese Fighting Fish, or the Spectacular Colours of the Cardinal Tetra, but they have their own beauty.  It is a very hardy fish as well as a long lived one, sometimes living as long as 12 years.  The hardiness and ease of keeping this peaceful fish make it an ideal beginner’s tropical fish.

Other Common Names

 Some of the other things this fish have been called are “Glass Bloodfish”, “Glass bloodfin”, “Glastetra”, “Redfin Glass Tetra” and “Lasitetra”

Water Conditions

The Glass Bloodfin Tetra is more flexible in its water requirements than most fish.  A pH of between 6.0 and 8.0 is suitable.  It will live happily in either soft water or hard water up to 30 degrees of general harness.  A temperature of between 22 and 30 degrees C (72 and 86 degrees F) is good, but it will take a little outside this range.   This fish will even cope with the surprising water that comes out of the taps in the Adelaide Hills as long as the Chloramine is removed first.

The Glass Bloodfin is a fast swimming fish and has been known to jump out of the water, so I would recommend a cover.  They are a tropical fish, and need a heater unless they can be kept in a room that never gets cold.  I set our thermostats for this fish at 24̊ C. although some people prefer to set theirs a little higher.

The aquarium should be well planted, preferably including some floating plants, but with some open water in the upper part of the tank for swimming.

Food

The Glass Bloodfin Tetra is an easily fed omnivore, eating all common aquarium foods including flakes and pellets.  It is a good idea to vary its diet with live food like mosquito Larvae and Daphnia as well as frozen food like Bloodworms and Brine shrimp.

The Glass Bloodfin is a surface and mid water feeder by preference, but will certainly go the bottom of the tank to feed if necessary.

Companions

This is a schooling fish and I suggest a minimum of 6 be kept together.  It is a peaceful fish and can be kept both with small fish like Neon tetra and larger fish including Angel Fish.

Suitable companion fish for The Glass Bloodfin include: Guppies, Platies, Swordtails, Mollies, Fighting Fish, Paradise Fish, Bronze Catfish, Albino Catfish, Peppered Catfish, other small catfish, Algae Eaters, Scissortail Rasboras, Harlequin Rasboras, all the small and medium size barbs, all tetras, and all the common gouramis.

Sexing

The males develop a bit of black behind the white stripe on the anal fin, as well as having a slightly longer dorsal fin than the females.  Females in breeding condition will be fuller in the body than the males.

Breeding

 The fish should be conditioned well before breeding.

The Glass Bloodfin Tetra is an easily bred egg scatterer which is normally bred in a school rather than a pair.  The water should be soft and the temperature increased to about 28 degrees C (82 degrees F.)

Like many fish, they usually spawn early in the morning.  Some fine leaved plants should be provided.  Although they tend to spawn over the plants, the eggs are not sticky and most will fall onto the gravel.  Around 300 eggs per female are laid.  The parents will eat the eggs if they can.  The eggs should hatch in between 14 and 36 hours.  They hatch faster at a higher temperature.   The babies will be free swimming a few days after hatching.

Raising the Babies

At first the babies will need to be fed on infusoria (protozoa).  After a few days they will be big enough to eat newly hatched brine shrimp or the finest screened Daphnia.  These can be supplemented with commercial fry foods.

Other scientific Names

 The accepted scientific name for this fish is Prionobrama filigera   Other names that have been used include Aphyocharax filigerus, Aphyocharax analis, Bleptonema amazoni, Paragoniatus muelleri, Aphyocharax anaialbis and Prionobrama madeirae.

Sources

http://aquaworld.netfirms.com/Characoidei/American/Prionobrama_filigera.htm

http://www.aqua-fish.net/show.php?h=glassbloodfin